Pick of the stats: Blackburn Rovers v Stoke Citypublished at 18:40 GMT 2 November
18:40 GMT 2 November
This will be the 108th meeting between Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City in a fixture which dates back to the very first Football League season of 1888-89.
Stoke head to Ewood Park on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) with only the leaders Middlesbrough (14) having taken more than their 13 points in the past six games.
Blackburn Rovers are winless in their past four league games against Stoke City (D2 L2), with both meetings last season finishing 1-1.
Stoke City have lost just one of their past 11 away league games against Blackburn Rovers (W6 D4), going down 3-1 in February 2024.
Blackburn have won each of their past three home league games, as many as across their previous 15 combined (D6 L6). They last won more consecutively at Ewood Park between August and October 2024 (5).
Following a prior 12-game winless run (D3 L9), Stoke have now won their past three away league games. They last won four in a row on the road in November/December 2005.
Andri Gudjohnsen has scored in each of his past three home league games. The last Blackburn player to score in four in a row at Ewood Park was Ben Brereton (5 in November/December 2021).
'Stoke ahead of schedule for promotion ambitions'published at 13:04 GMT 1 November
13:04 GMT 1 November
Image source, Shutterstock
Stoke City's second half performance showed just how good they can be when they play with tempo and bravery when it comes to their decision making in possession.
After half-time, already leading Preston by a single goal to nil, they were much more willing to choose a forward pass and trust their technical ability in playing through the lines.
In turn, they created a hatful of chances and could and probably should have won by three or four goals.
Defensively, nobody had conceded fewer goals than Stoke since the start of September and their young back three, with plenty of room still to grow, have been vital during a brilliant run of form that now spans 10 games.
Preston have been poor all season and it's difficult not to fear for them but Stoke dismissed them relatively comfortably.
Away games at Blackburn and Portsmouth will provide tougher tests over the next week but since the opening three games of the season provoked a change of system and late summer squad overhaul, they've taken an average of 2.3 points per game.
1.5 over the course of the season should be enough to secure a play off place so the Potters are already ahead of schedule given their stated pre-season ambitions.
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